(3) 4-6 NYC girl Nell Dare reluctantly accompanies her botanist mother to North Carolina's Roanoke Island for a summer research trip. There she and local boy Ambrose, a history buff and colonial reenactor, delve into the mystery of the Lost Colony. A well-researched blend of contemporary and historical material, this novel will remind readers that history can be both relevant and exciting.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) 4-6 Mysteries of History series. This volume presents the mystery surrounding the late-sixteenth-century disappearance of the Roanoke Colony in clear, concise text with plenty of images. With frequent inserts (and an appendix) of comprehension activities, publisher's links, and writing prompts, the series is more focused on core standards than general research. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(3) 4-6 Abandoned!: Towns Without People series. Despite a rather sensationalized title, this series is genuinely fascinating. Each book traces the history of a now-deserted town, explaining its population boom, possible reasons for decline, and what each abandoned place is like today. With interesting historical and contemporary photos and well-placed sidebars, these are solid places to begin research on some of America's stranger places. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Abandoned! titles: Bodie, Cliff Dwellings, Roanoke Island, and Salton Sea Resort.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(3) 4-6 In alternating verse narratives, Native American Kimi and Roanoke colonist Alis describe their developing friendship. The two girls provide perspective on life in their communities and on how each interacts with the other. This intriguing and fresh look at a sixteenth-century mystery is also an exploration of what it means to be a friend and to belong. An author's note separates facts from speculation. Glos.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) YA Thomas, whose "elemental" power causes pain to others and makes him an outcast, leads his band of misfit refugees through pirate chases, plague scares, and aggressive rat hordes, intent on reuniting his fractured community. The underlying emotions are more told than shown, and while the plot twists lose their power through overuse, action aplenty keeps the pages turning in this series conclusion.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) 4-6 Missing series. Jonah and Katherine (Found, Sent) time-travel to Roanoke to restore Andrea to her original identity as Virginia Dare. But sabotage lands them in an unknown year, and they find themselves unsure if it's best to live out events as they first occurred. As the text raises worthwhile questions about the nature of historical record, the characters lend emotional depth to the past.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) YA A dalliance between Sir Walter Ralegh and Lady Cate leads Queen Elizabeth to exile the young woman to the Roanoke Colony. As Cate struggles to survive, her attachments to England and Ralegh fade. Though the romance thread is unconvincing, the story, seen through the eyes of a Croatoan Indian, a colonist, and an imperialist explorer, provides thoughtful perspective on the Lost Colony.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Hudson Talbott. In 1587, about a hundred men, women, and children left England to colonize Roanoke Island, off the coast of what is now North Carolina. When their governor returned from a trip to England for supplies, he found the colony abandoned. Talbott's delicate spot-art portraits give each player in this historical mystery a face, and Fritz attaches distinctive personalities to those images. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2004

(4) 4-6 In American History series. Highlighting a specific time period, coverage in Thirteen Colonies and Revolutionary War is sketchy and overgeneralized in places. Roanoke Colony fares better with more thorough information and intriguing details. Black-and-white reproductions are sometimes blurry. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these In American History titles: The Mysterious Disappearance of Roanoke Colony in American History, The Thirteen Colonies from Founding to Revolution in American History, and The Revolutionary War and George Washington's Army in American History.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Roger Roth. The enigmatic disappearance of English settlers from their compound at Roanoke Island is this book's unsolved mystery. The authors tell the complicated story of dangerous trans-Atlantic voyages, alternating friendships and betrayal of and by native tribes with some clarity, though definitions and other sidebars are sometimes distracting. Careful illustrations aid in interpretation. Timeline.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Kaleidoscope series. With textbook-style prose, this book chronicles the United States involvement in the Spanish-American War, from the destruction of the Maine to the battles of Manila Bay and the Rough Riders famed charge up San Juan Hill. Abundant white space, period photographs, boxed inserts, and maps help to break up the text. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Colonies series. Each of the short books in this series attempts to provide a brief history of the founding, way of life, and governance of the colonies, as well as information on the original inhabitants and the interactions of the colonists with Native Americans. The writing is a bit choppy, and in some places the attempt at simplicity makes for poor and incomplete explanations. Many archival pictures help break up the text. A time line and list of websites is included. There are seven other fall 2001 books in this series. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Colonies titles: The Georgia Colony, The North Carolina Colony, The Massachusetts Colony, The New Hampshire Colony, The New York Colony, The Roanoke.]

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman